Yes, the university has direct involvement in, or input into, national government or regional nongovernmental organizations SDG policy development which includes identifying problems and challenges, developing policies and strategies, modelling likely futures with and without interventions, monitoring and reporting on interventions, and enabling adaptive management.

Penn State sent a delegation of Penn State faculty and students to Azerbaijan for the United Nations’ annual climate change conference, COP29.

Penn State is one of the members of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) United States Network. The SDSN promotes integrated approaches to implement the SDGs through education, research, policy analysis and global cooperation. SDSN members work closely with businesses and governments, particularly around the development and scaling up of new solutions. 

Penn State faculty conduct research and provide expertise that informs policy development. For example:

• The Penn State Climate Consortium‘s goals are to Amplify climate change research activities, internally and externally; Promote excellence in climate change research; Empower solutions from local to global scales; Lead in national and international climate-energy transitions and climate policy; and Inspire creativity and collaboration that broadens engagement and impact.
• The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences hosts the Mid-Atlantic Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (MARISA) which provides a variety of resources to understand and address a changing climate with increasing hazards from extreme heat, heavy downpours, rising sea levels, and storm surge. The resources help users understand, plan, and prepare for these and other hazards.
• Penn State’s Earth System Science Center uses climate system models to understand the climate system and develop modeling tools to serve Penn State and the broader community.  
• Penn State’s Center for Energy Law and Policy provides a hub for interdisciplinary research around pressing energy issues where technology, social and legal frameworks are ingredients to successful policy design implementation. It brings together scholars to explore how energy research might be used to inform regulatory approaches. Policy support includes Policy Brief: Growing a Hydrogen Economy in Pennsylvania (October 2023), Coordinating and Accessing Low-Income Energy Efficiency Programs White Paper (November 2023), and Energy in Environmental Justice Across the U.S. States (April 2025).

Yes, Penn State initiates and participates in cross-sectoral dialogue about the SDGs.

The Penn State Climate Consortium is a collective of engaged partners committed to identifying, creating, and implementing research-based solutions to climate change.  It holds an annual Climate Solutions Symposium for sharing ideas, fostering collaboration, and building innovative solutions. Researchers, practitioners, and community leaders explore pathways together toward a more sustainable and resilient future.

The Climate Solutions Accelerator program fosters impactful research and brings effective climate solutions to communities in Pennsylvania and around the world by engaging partners for real-world impact. Partners from industry, government, and foundations provide valuable insights and expertise, ensuring that program solutions have a meaningful and tangible impact on the real world. By focusing on place-based engagement, the program acknowledges that climate change impacts communities differently and addresses each location’s unique challenges and opportunities.

As a member of National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) which engages scientists, educators, policymakers, business leaders, and government officials to advance the use of science to inform environmental decision-making and participates in annual conferences. 

• Penn State’s EnvironMentors received first and second place at the NCSE EnvironMentors Science Fair and Awards Ceremony in 2024.
• The NCSE Drawdown 2021 Conference featured several presenters from Penn State. 

Penn State initiated and participated in cross-sectoral dialogue about the SDGs by partnering with Project Drawdown to co-host a conference for government, NGOs and academics and host Drawdown Scholars each year. This partnership explores and enhances plans to reverse global warming by clarifying a positive solutions-oriented path for action on climate change. By working with researchers from across the world, the team has already identified 100 of substantive solutions to address climate change.  

Yes, the university participates in international collaboration on gathering or measuring data for the SDGs.

Penn State gathers and measures SDG data as a member of the Water, Energy, Food Nexus in Africa Initiative. This network of academic, public and private sector institutions addresses scientific, social, environmental and engineering challenges at the water-energy-food nexus. A Penn State faculty member, Professor of Forest Resources Dr. Michael Jacobson, is the initiative’s director.  

As a member of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Penn State partners with a variety of organizations to assess progress towards SDG achievement at the national and local level.  

Penn State is a research collaborator for Project Drawdown which supports and advances the gathering and measuring of data for the SDGs. 

Our Experiential Digital Global Engagement program supports faculty focused on addressing SDGs with a Central Asia University Partnership grant from the American Councils for International Education. 

Penn State collaborates with the U.N. Economic Commission for Europe to support the Global Building Network aimed at advancing building science, construction, and management to address SDGs. 

Yes, through international collaboration and research the university reviews comparative approaches and develops international best practices on tackling the SDGs.

Penn State’s Global Building Network is an international collaboration of universities, non-governmental organizations, UN Member States, regions, municipalities and industry partners to develop best practices to address SDGs. The overall goal of the Network is to eventually eliminate, fossil fuel energy utilization in the operation of residential and commercial buildings while acquiring operational data that serves to continuously improve the methodology.  

Penn State is a member of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) which promotes integrated approaches to implement the SDGs through education, research, policy analysis and global cooperation.  

Penn State’s College of Agriculture’s Gender Equity through Agricultural Research and Education network of interdisciplinary scholars and researchers mission is to research innovative and sustainable gender integrated development practices. 

Yes, Penn State collaborates with NGOs on student volunteer opportunities, research programs, and educational resources.

Student Affairs collaborates with many NGOs to provide student volunteer programs.  Student Affairs promotes ways to get involved with local service organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, ClearWater Conservancy (a local accredited land trust), and tutoring with the State College Area School District.

As a member of The Forum on Education Abroad Penn State collaborates to advance the SDGs through Education Abroad. Penn State Global was been selected as the recipient of The Forum on Education Abroad’s first Award for Advancing the U.N. SDGs through Education Abroad based on its partnerships with the University’s academic units and Penn State Sustainability to implement curricular integration, programmatic updates and operational changes to continue its mission of advancing the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Penn State Global’s Strategic Partnership efforts include:

• The Africa Advisory Committee to develop strategic partnerships with institutions and organizations across Africa
• Penn State and the Indian Institute of Science signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2019 which strengthens expansion of the partnership that aims to foster innovative solutions to global challenges through joint research and academic exchange.
• Tohoku University, a top strategic partner in Japan, which features 4 active agreements with Earth and Mineral Sciences, Arts & Architecture, Education Abroad, and a university-wide MOU, respectively. Faculty and administrative champions from both universities have played a significant role in our multi-dimensional partnership for decades. Key collaborative areas include Geosciences, Geochemistry and Resource Geology, as well as research-oriented student mobility.
• A strategic partnership with Leibniz University Hannover is paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries that address humanity’s greatest challenges and shape a more interconnected world.
• Penn State’s partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean are central to our strategic goal of creating regional networks that address global issues with a local perspective. These collaborations foster long-term engagement, nurturing transformative and equitable partnerships that include: the Páramos soils project which aims to characterize the microbial diversity in Colombia and investigate how climate change will affect microbes’ functions; The Colombia-USA Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus Alliance – an international, transdisciplinary partnership focused on understanding and addressing the complex challenges associated with water-energy-food systems.

Dr. Osama Awadelkarim in the College of Engineering at Penn State serves as a UNESCO Chair and collaborates with a variety of NGOs to increase the number of youth and adults who have advanced technical and vocational skills. 

The Sustainable Communities Collaborative collaborates with NGOs to connect them to faculty for engaged scholarship opportunities. 

Connecting Humans and Nature through Conservation Experiences program is an interdisciplinary environmental education program that collaborates with NGOs to support study abroad international field courses that immerse students in real-world environmental research and conservation efforts. 

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 1 can be found on the SDG 1 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 1 Progress page there are links to news and journal articles. Publications on SDG1 can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search or by following the link from the Publications icon on the SDG 1 report page.

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 2 can be found on the SDG 2 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 2 Progress page there are links to news and journal articles.

Reports on SDG 2 can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search and on our SDG 2 webpage by clicking the Publications icon. We also track progress on SDG 2 in our STARS report which addresses support for a campus food bank. 

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 3 can be found on the SDG 3 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 3 Progress page there are links to news and journal articles. Research on SDG 3 can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search and on our SDG3 webpage by clicking the Publications icon.

Penn State also tracks progress on SDG 3 in it’s STARS report which covers the Wellness Program and Smoke-free environments policy. 

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 4 can be found on the SDG 4 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 4 Progress page there are links to news and journal articles. Research on SDG 4 can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search and on our SDG 4 webpage by clicking the Publications icon.

Penn State also track progress on SDG 4 in it’s STARS report which tracks data related to affordability and access.

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 5 can be found on the SDG 5 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 5 Progress page. there are links to news and journal articles. Reports on SDG 5 can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search and on our SDG 5 webpage by clicking the Publications icon.

We also track progress on SDG 5 in our STARS report which tracks progress on Diversity and Equity Coordination (section PA-5; 1.78/2.00 points), Assessing Diversity and Equity (section PA-6; 1.00/1.00 points), and Support for Underrepresented Groups sections (section PA-7; 3.00/3.00 points).  

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 6 can be found on the SDG 6 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 6 Progress page there are links to news and journal articles. Research on SDG 6 can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search and on our SDG 6 webpage by clicking the Publications icon.

We also track progress on SDG6 in our STARS report which tracks progress on how we track water and sanitation management in sections OP-21 Water Use, and OP-22 Rainwater Management. 

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 7 can be found on the SDG 7 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 7 Progress page there are links to news and journal articles. Research on SDG 7 can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search and on the SDG 7 Progress page by clicking the Publications icon.

We also track progress on SDG 7 in our STARS report which tracks progress on building energy efficiency in section OP-5 and on clean and renewable energy in section OP-6. 

Penn State’s Greenhouse Gas emissions dashboard tracks our progress on reducing emissions.

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 8 can be found on the SDG 8 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 8 Progress page there are links to news and journal articles. Research on SDG8 can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search and on the SDG 8 Progress page by clicking the Publications icon.  

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 9 can be found on the SDG 9 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 9 Progress page there are links to news and journal articles. Reports on SDG9 can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search and on the SDG 9 Progress page by clicking the Publications icon.  

Penn State’s Global Building Network facilitates evidence to action through global partnerships and network-to-network connections to accelerate decarbonization of the built environment at scale. It was created after Penn State was asked by the United Nations to lead a global network to advance building science, construction processes and building management. The network supports an international framework that will make buildings more sustainable, more efficient and healthier to live and work in through research, education, and outreach. See the Global Building Network website for report on progress. 

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 10 can be found on the SDG 10 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 10 Progress page there are links to news and journal articles. Reports on SDG10 can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search and on the SDG 10 Progress page by clicking the Publications icon.

The We Are Stronger Together website of Penn State’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) program is part of University Development. On it, the Strategic Initiatives are outlined, which include these DEIB Goals:

• Create and sustain an inclusive workplace
• Engage with diverse external stakeholders
• Diversify our workforce
• Work with greater cultural agility

The site also includes a link to download the DEIB strategic initiatives booklet to read more about the DEIB division’s vision.

In the university Strategic Plan, Advancing Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity is tracked as part of the plan. Penn State established four planning goals related to empowering and promoting the social, economic and political inclusion of all:  

1. Foster a culture of respect and inclusion that values the experiences and perspectives of faculty, staff, and students; 
2. Develop and implement curricula and scholarship that interrogate social issues and inspire social responsibility; 
3. Evaluate and rectify organizational structures, policies, and practices that cause differential impact and limit access and opportunities for faculty, staff, and students at Penn State; and, 
4. Recruit, support, and advance a diverse student body, faculty, and staff. 

Additional resources which are available to Penn State employees and students are posted on the Educational Equity Strategic Planning website. They include Inclusion and Belonging Resources and an Equity focused planning rubric.

The Penn State Select Presidential Commission on Racism, Bias, and Community Safety did a holistic review of the University’s operations and made recommendations to advance greater diversity, equity and inclusion across the university.

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.  

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 11 can be found on the SDG 11 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on SDG 11 there are links to news and journal articles. Reports on SDG 11 can be accessed using the Pure Elsevier search and on the SDG 11 webpage by clicking the Publications icon.

Penn State tracks progress on SDG11 in its STARS report section EN-10 Community Partnerships about efforts towards inclusion, resource efficiency, and more. These include the Sustainable Communities Collaborative which connects faculty, students and staff with local communities to address sustainability challenges through an engaged, collaborative effort to help develop and support thriving, healthy communities; and the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program, a federal-state-university partnership whose annual reports catalog the environmental impact of client activity including the reduction of air emissions, carbon dioxide production, and water consumption. 

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 12 can be found on the SDG 12 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 12 Progress page there are links to news and journal articles. Reports on SDG 12 can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search and on the SDG 12 Progress page by clicking the Publications icon.

We also track progress on SDG12 in our STARS report which tracks progress on natural resources such as air (OP-1) and climate (OP-2), water use (OP-21), landscape management (OP-9), biodiversity (OP-10), sustainable procurement (OP-11), and waste minimization and diversion (OP-18). 

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 13 can be found on the SDG 13 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 13 Progress page there are links to news and journal articles. Reports on SDG 13 can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search and on the SDG 13 Progress page by clicking the Publications icon.

Penn State also tracks progress on SDG 13 in its STARS report section on Academic Courses which tracks progress on education regarding issues that include climate change mitigation. 

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 14 can be found on the SDG 14 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 14 Progress page there are links to news and journal articles which can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search and on the SDG 14 Progress page by clicking the Publications icon.  

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 15 can be found on the SDG 15 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 15 Progress page there are links to news and journal articles. Reports on SDG15 can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search and on the SDG 15 Progress page by clicking the Publications icon.

Penn State also tracks progress on SDG 15 in its STARS report which tracks progress on Landscape Management (OP-9) and Biodiversity (OP-10). 

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 16 can be found on the SDG 16 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 16 Progress page there are links to news and journal articles. Reports on SDG 16 can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search and on the SDG 16 Progress page by clicking the Publications icon.  

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

The SDG Progress website serves as the public report on progress by The Pennsylvania State University towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards SDG 17 can be found on the SDG 17 Progress page.

Progress against the SDGs is also published in Penn State Sustainability’s biennial reports, in the Penn State Sustainability e-newsletter Mainstream (link goes to Mainstream archives – subscribe HERE), and on the SDG 17 Progress page there are links to news and journal articles. Reports on SDG17 can be accessed online using the Pure Elsevier search and on the SDG 17 Progress page by clicking the Publications icon.  

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

Yes, the university has a commitment to meaningful education around the SDGs across the university that is relevant and applicable to all students.

Penn State’s commitment to education around the SDGs is evidenced by the number of employees who conduct research on the SDGs and the number of courses and degree programs that address the SDGs. It is also evidenced by the degree programs in sustainability leadership, sustainable food systems, and renewable energy and sustainability systems.

Sustainability Attribute for classes: Work to develop a Sustainability Attribute that will identify classes in the bulletin (a complete listing of all classes and degree programs available) as focused on sustainability started in 2023. Faculty Senate voted in favor of a new senate policy (SP 180-50), which creates a sustainability course attribute. The criterion for the attribute was developed by Curricular Affairs members, in consultation with a broad team of faculty, staff and students. The idea for this new policy came from students’ desire for more sustainability coursework across disciplines.

This new curricular policy allows for courses to be voluntarily identified in the course catalogue (LionPATH) as meeting key sustainability outcomes. In order to satisfy the criteria for the attribute, the course must define sustainability in a personally, civically or disciplinary relevant context and include at least one course learning objective that demonstrates an enduring course focus on sustainability. In addition, classes which receive the sustainability attribute must meet one of the following sustainability learning objectives:

• Analyze relationships – Distinguish system types appearing in the literature, attends to temporal literacy and directs it through interpersonal literacy to analyze the sustainability of relationships between interconnected systems as they change over time.
• Employ moral and ethical frameworks – Direct student learning into the ethical realm, providing opportunities to spot ethical issues, analyze those issues, and develop and communicate personal, professional, and public moral/ethical positions.
• Cultivate interpersonal competency – Utilize others’ ways of knowing and communicating empathetically to engage and motivate diverse stakeholders around sustainability-related challenges and solutions.
• Explore designs, solutions, and changes for a sustainable future – Identify, create, advocate for, and/or affect resilient and/or sustainable designs, solutions, or changes in a disciplinary-relevant context.

Examples of how courses address the SDGs include:

• Over 400 credit-bearing classes related to SDG2 are offered during the academic year
• SDG 14 classes addressing ocean acidification were offered by philosophy, meteorology, and religious studies
• SDG 11 is addressed in supply chain management, geography, architectural engineering, and polymer engineering science courses and classes.

The full list of classes offered for each SDG has been sorted by SDG number on each SDG Progress Page and can be accessed by clicking on the “Classes” icon.

The Course Descriptions & SDGs spreadsheet reflects classes which were identified by sorting and filtering for search terms in the entire class bulletin. A sampling of SDG search terms used to filter from the class bulletin include:

• SDG 2: food
• SDG 11: diversity, community
• SDG 14: ocean, lake, pond
• SDG 15: biodiversity
• SDG 17: civil society

See the Course Descriptions & SDGs spreadsheet for the results.

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

Yes, the university does have dedicated courses (full degrees, or electives) that address sustainability and the SDGs.

Courses, degrees, electives, and classes can be easily identified by visiting Penn State’s Sustainability Education Gateway.

Academic and degree programs are sorted by themes related to sustainability’s challenges as well as by undergraduate and graduate programs. They are sorted based on the themes identified by the Penn State Climate Consortium (a collective of engaged partners committed to identifying, creating, and implementing research-based solutions to climate change):

• Built Environment, Materials & Transportation
• Energy Transition
• Finance & Business Innovation
• Health & Well-Being
• Indigenous & Local Knowledge Systems
• Justice & Ethics
• Nature-Based Strategies
• Policy & Governance
• Public Engagement, Communication & Behavioral Change
• Art & Design
• Fundamental Science

These themes represent pathways to creating tangible solutions to improve the lives of individuals, communities, and our planet.

On the Gateway site is a link to download the Gateway Courses Master list, which was drawn from courses reported on the SDG Progress pages for each of the Sustainable Development Goals.

In addition to courses, the Gateway connects learners to Engaged and Experiential Learning for Sustainability. Penn State provides powerful experiences in sustainability outside of the walls of a classroom. Programs and projects connect students with our campuses and communities where they confront real-world challenges in climate planning, green labs (improving research labs operations to be more sustainable), watershed assessment, and even human resources.

Penn State has a number of dedicated courses, degree programs, and certificates that address sustainability and the SDGs. A search through the class bulletin provides information about degree and certificate programs that include:

• sustainability leadership,
• earth and sustainability,
• biorenewable systems,
• environmental resource management,
• environmental studies,
• food systems,
• development and sustainability in Africa,
• environment and society,
• agricultural stewardship and conservation, and
• renewable energy and sustainability systems degree programs.

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

Yes, the university does have dedicated outreach educational activities for the wider community which includes alumni, local residents, and displaced people.

Penn State offers many outreach educational activities to the wider community. Most are shared on the Penn State Sustainability event calendar. These include:

• the Commonwealth of Sustainability’s Annual Sustainability Week,
• the GreenGov webinar series cohosted by the Governor’s GreenGov Council,
• the free and open to the public Intersections Film program which highlights the ways different sustainability challenges and solutions intersect,
• promoting awareness of and engagement with the SDGs by highlighting SDG Snapshots that feature some of Penn State’s SDG champions, and
• the regular educational events for the wider community offered by the Student Farm.

Alumni activities which provide educational opportunities include the Sustainability Showcase Series and a monthly newsletter.

The Penn State Center for Immigrants’ Rights Clinic provides services and support, legal representation, and provides assistance to detainees. It also conducts legal research and workshops.

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.

Yes, Penn State measures the sustainability literacy of students. The first assessment was conducted in 2018 across the student body. The assessment results were reviewed, and a redesign of the assessment was undertaken in 2022. In early August of 2022, the assessment group, comprised of faculty, staff, and students, produced the final draft of the Student Sustainability Survey. The 38-question survey includes cognitive, affective, and behavioral components to gauge overall sustainability knowledge and beliefs. The survey was launched on August 22nd, 2022 and remained open until November 18th, 2022. Recommendations from the assessment results, as reported to the Faculty Senate, included a call for an annual, university-wide Sustainability Literacy Assessment

In 2023, President Bendapudi announced plans to use the new literacy assessment on a regular basis. In a letter dated August 8, 2023 to the Faculty Senate, President Bendapudi stated “I recognize that our students are calling for a set of actions from the administration and acknowledge the importance of sustainability. I support a regular sustainability literacy survey and would like to see one conducted approximately every two years with a broad sample of students from University Park, our Commonwealth System, and World Campus.”

Plans are underway to conduct the next system-wide assessment in the autumn of 2025.

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on progress towards SGD 17 HERE.